So, I thought I’d pose an important and interesting question to you today.
Should you believe all of your thoughts?
What do you think?
Do you think you should 100% believe every thought that pops into your mind? What about the conclusions you have about a long term friend or that person you just met?
You see our thoughts are actually not facts.
Most often our thoughts are an opinion or an interpretation. Many of them are habits. Yes, we often think the same thoughts and have the same conclusions. And guess what? They are still not facts, no matter how often you’ve thought them. But that’s just it, isn’t it?
Thoughts that we have had on a regular basis over the course of our life are often accepted as facts. We think what we think is the truth.
But, it’s not.
Thoughts are not facts.
This is not a bad thing. I am not saying that we are all liars or are completely deluded. But I am saying that you need to be aware of what you’re thinking and ask for evidence on a regular basis.
Let’s look at an example of how our thoughts are really an interpretation of a situation:
Fact: My boss has not openly praised my work in a long time.
Thought: “My boss doesn’t value me”.
There could be many reasons why your boss has not openly praised you in a long time, and most of them have nothing to do with you. Think about it.
Your boss is busy, self-absorbed, going through a rough time, not good at praising others, is distracted, is stressed…
The point is, there are many interpretations of the facts, but our minds usually create one and stick with it. It’s not a fact, it’s a story or an interpretation.
If you have a thought that is creating negativity for you or keeping you feeling “stuck”, try asking for some evidence:
“What evidence is there for this thought?”
And secondly, “does this thought serve me?”
These questions will open up the possibility of other interpretations. They will create space around what could be an assumption, a long-standing story you’ve been telling yourself.
Try it. See what happens.